HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -
(June 21, 2008) – The second FIVB World League match between the No. 3 U.S. National Team and the No. 4 Bulgarian National Team lived up to its billing as it came down to a fifth set, which Bulgaria won, taking a 12-25, 25-16, 25-20, 12-25, 15-13 victory on Saturday at the Sears Centre Arena.
                                                  

HOLYOKE, Mass. -
(June 27, 2008) - The Volleyball Hall of Fame announced today the names of six volleyball greats who will be inducted as the Class of 2008 into its hallowed halls on Oct. 23 in Holyoke, Mass., the sports' birthplace.
                                                  

   The first official ball used in volleyball is disputed; some sources say that Spalding created the first official ball in 1896, while others claim it was created in 1900.The rules have evolved over time; by 1916, the skill and power of the set and spike had been introduced, and four years later a "three hits" rule and back row hitting guidelines were established. In 1917, the game was changed from 21 to 15 points. In 1919, about 16,000 volleyballs were distributed by the American Expeditionary Forces to their troops and allies, which sparked the growth of volleyball in new countries.
   The first country outside the United States to adopt volleyball was Canada in 1900. An international federation, the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB), was founded in 1947, and the first World Championships were held in 1949 for men and 1952 for women. The sport is now popular in Brazil, in Europe (where especially Italy, the Netherlands, and countries from Eastern Europe have been major forces since the late 1980s), in Russia, and in other countries including China and the rest of Asia, as well in as the United States.
   The Olympic volleyball tournament was originally a simple competition, whose format paralleled the one still employed in the World Cup: all teams played against each other team and then were ranked by wins, set average, and point average. One disadvantage of this round-robin system is that medal winners could be determined before the end of the games, making the audience lose interest in the outcome of the remaining matches.
   If you are playing a hitter who connects well enough to be able to hit a variety of angles, you will need to cover more area with your block. Since you are up there by yourself, you Will need to get tricky at times. Try setting up as if you were going to block line, thus making your opponent think the angle shot is open. Since the angle is generally their best shot, they will usually fall for the bait. At the last possible second, move your arms quickly into the angle lane, and take that shot away. Sometimes, you will be able to stop several of those shots in a row before your opponent figures out what you are doing.